For many consumers, the endless choices available in retail can sometimes be overwhelming. But for people with disability, often, the opposite is true, with only a limited range of products available to meet their needs. A new online marketplace seeks to address this problem. Averee, a first-of-its-kind retail offering in Australia and globally, launched earlier this month offering people of all abilities practical but premium products. The range which includes adaptive fashion, homewares, perso
personal care and technology, aims to demonstrate that functionality and quality can coexist.
Brent Dankesreither, Averee CEO and managing director, founded the brand after his own struggles with navigating the shopping experience and the National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS) rebate system on behalf of his son.
“Like me, I’m sure many people have experienced the frustration of searching for inspiring products and services to suit their needs, only to feel let down by the limited offering and quality that’s available,” Dankesreither said
“People living with disabilities and the effects of ageing should have equal access to
beautiful products via a premium online experience.”
It is estimated that between $11-14 billion of NDIS funding is underspent in Australia, and the team behind Averee believes one of the key reasons for that is challenges around accessing desirable products and services.
By bringing together a highly curated selection of sellers from around the globe in a single shopping destination, Averee is hoping to help customers get the most out of their NDIS and My Aged Care funding.
Breaking with tradition
While a “for-profit” startup, Averee is a “highly for-purpose business” bringing together experts from disability, aged care and retail from Australia and around the globe, and has consulted with a wide range of people with disability to better understand various needs and experiences.
Anna McDonald, chief customer officer at Averee, brings her vast experience in retail and consumer goods to the business.
“We’re not a traditional marketplace,” McDonald told Inside Retail.
“We’ve shopped the planet and found the best products that are both functional and aesthetic – that’s really important to us. We believe people everywhere should be able to have beautiful products at a great price, and be able to live their best possible life – that’s our mission.”
And when it comes to inclusion, it goes without saying that no one should be left behind.
“We are ability neutral. We don’t advocate for any one particular disability, age or gender, we are a neutral place for shoppers to come and express themselves, whether that’s a 90-year-old that needs a walking frame or a 16-year-old that needs a walking frame,” McDonald said.
Averee’s aesthetic is a world away from the medicalised look that’s typically adopted by retailers offering products to meet the needs of people with disability.
“We don’t wish to speak to our customers based on their ailments. We wish to speak to our customers about living their full lives.”
Lack of products
But despite having worked across many areas of retail throughout her career, McDonald said it has been extremely challenging to source products for people with additional needs that are both aesthetically pleasing and functional.
“There is a very limited product range; that’s been one of our hardest obstacles to overcome,” she said. “I think there’s a massive gap in the market and that’s why we had to go to the world [to source product]. Designers and brands need to totally reconsider what they’re providing to this global market.”
Many of Averee’s products are sourced from the US, Europe and Israel and were not previously available in Australia.
“It’s very frustrating to see a lot of incredible products still in prototype phase, because the people developing them don’t have the resources, the ability or money to do so. One of Averee’s goals is to help bring those prototypes into reality,” she added.
International expansion
The team behind Averee wants to grow the business in Australia and build up its range of sellers before taking it international.
“We’ve got some of the most amazing sellers in the world, but we also want to drive even better sellers onto the site. We’ve got a way to go but we’ve made a great start and we’ve had positive feedback from the community,” McDonald said.
The site currently provides information and practical tips to support people to live a full life and better understand NDIS funding. And as part of its growth strategy, Averee plans to add services to the offer.
“We’re not there yet! That’s Stage 2, to combine services as part of one single experience.”
McDonald stressed that the brand is in the early stages of its journey and is encouraging people to share their feedback to help the marketplace to improve.